KEENE, N.H. – Junior forward
Grace Bazin netted a hat trick while 11 different Owls recorded a point as the Keene State College field hockey team opened Little East Conference play with a 9-0 demolition of the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth on Saturday afternoon at the Owl Athletic Complex.
Highlights
Postgame Interview (Amy Watson)
Postgame Interview (Irini Stefanakos)
KSC improved to 7-0 for the first time in 11 years thanks to the win, while also scoring their most goals in a game since October 27, 2021 (a 9-2 win over Vermont State University Castleton). The Owls will aim to win eight in a row to open a season for the first time in the Division III era on Tuesday night when a four-game home stretch continues. Individually, Bazin scored for the 11th, 12th, and 13th times already this season, which includes a remarkable five multi-goal games. She is only six goals away from matching her total from a season ago, and the Owls as a team have outscored their opponents 35-5 thus far this season. The 9-0 victory over UMass-Dartmouth (3-6, 0-1 LEC) matched the largest win in series history, equaling the same score of a 2019 meeting on ironically the same exact day.
Somewhat remarkably given the score, it was nearly a scoreless first quarter, but Bazin changed that with a goal at the 14:17 mark as she carried up the left side and shot from far out through a pair of defenders. KSC led 1-0 after one, and then scored twice more with under five minutes to go in the second as
Lilah Carr sent a perfect ball to
Grace Seabury rushing up the right side in the circle. She then charged toward UMD keeper Shane Cueman before dishing a centering feed to
Meghan Daileanes, who tipped it in. Keene State made it 3-0 only a minute and a half later thanks to a corner, as
Molly Murray passed to the top and
Alessandra Vidal, who found
Hannah Wood on her right. The Owl senior defender and captain then moved to her right past a defender and fired home a shot through traffic for her first tally of the season. KSC carried that lead into halftime, outshooting UMD 14-1.
The Owls put up a six pack over the final 30 minutes.
Irini Stefanakos resumed the scoring barrage halfway through the third quarter with a strong individual effort, stealing the ball at the half line and rushing herself into the circle before firing a rocket past new Corsairs keeper Hannah Trombly. Bazin would add another on a transition rush not even two minutes later, slotting home a feed from
Ella DiMatteo to make it 5-0, and then completed her second hat trick of the season in the 47th minute.
KSC set the final margin with three more goals in the final 12 minutes, with
Kalina Piasecki, Murray, and
Jennifer Erikson joining in on the fun.
The Owls outshot UMass-Dartmouth 28-2 overall and had 11 of 12 penalty corners. KSC improved to 30-7 in the all-time series, winning the last seven in a row by a 54-9 margin.
Three keepers saw action for the home team, with
Clara Gorman making one save in the first half and earning the win.
Katelyn Nicotera (25:40) and
Ali Perry (4:20) did not have any action come their way.
Cueman made five stops for UMD in the first half before Trombly and Kelsie Couto combined for six after the break.
Kaitlyn Castriotta recorded a pair of assists on the Owls' final two goals, marking the first points of her collegiate career.
Keene State plays the third of four straight at home on Tuesday (September 24) when they welcome Clark University (4-3, 0-1 NEWMAC) for a 6:30 p.m. start. The teams have not met since 2015, a 2-0 KSC win. The Cougars, since beating UMD 5-3 last week, have lost their last two, 2-0 to Simmons University and 9-0 to No. 5 Babson College.
